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Showing posts with label garden style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden style. Show all posts

4.24.2025

SPRING: Revisiting the Garden Bar!

 spring,inspired by nature,garden style,re-purposing,up-cycling,furniture,on the porch,outdoors,tutorial,create a garden bar!.

Since this is the time of year when most locales have favorable weather for gardening, I'm re-visiting an old project - the one where Deb turns a folding patio bar into a potting bench! It was a fun project to create for my Mom one Mothers' Day, and I thought it might inspire you to try something similar this spring.

This particular project came about because my Mom was struggling to pot up some plants for her backyard on her glass patio table. Not the optimum surface for messy work. Not five feet away from her, against the house, stood a folding metal outdoor bar - sitting there, unused, except for large parties once or twice a year. Me? I didn't see a bar... I saw a potting bench! 

I quickly dragged it over to the edge of the patio, against a shady vine wall,
set it up, gathered a few accessories and gardening staples, and the Garden Bar was born!

continue reading to see how it all came together...

4.10.2025

SPRING: repurpose a lampshade frame as a cloche

spring,lampshades,garden style,terra cotta pots,re-purposing,up-cycling,thrifted,Easter,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,home decor,tutorial,use a wire lampshade frame as a cloche.

My sweet aunt Diane gifted me a terra cotta bunny figure in March for my birthday, along with a lovely lunch at one of our local wineries. After the celebrating was over, I came home and created a sweet little springtime vignette starring that bunny... and I thought I'd share this idea with you, since it is SO simple to replicate!

Continue reading to see how it all came together, plus some additional ideas...

4.03.2025

SPRING: 'bunny ears' floral bouquet

spring,flowers,garden style,inspired by nature,Easter,DIY,diy decorating,thrifted,just for fun,bunny ears floral bouquet, tutorial. 
With April's arrival, Easter draws closer... and while I like to focus on 'seasonal' decor rather than specific holidays, sometimes ideas pop up and I just have to run with them!

Back in 2023, I created a small floral project for Easter using tiny white ball flowers and some daffodil leaves. This year, I was looking at the green hydrangeas that I used in the 'floral bouquet in a purse' project shared a few weeks back, and decided to replicate that older project - in larger scale. 

Continue reading to see how easy it is to create this fun bouquet...

3.27.2025

SPRING: 3-D dollar store seed packet art

spring,paper crafts,dollar store crafts,wall art,DIY,diy decorating,garden style,flowers,trash to treasure,tutorial,
Back in January, I picked up some garden seed packets at Dollar Tree...
three packs of green zinnia seeds, and one pack of white morning glory seeds.
And though I bought them with the express intent of crafting with them, I had NO idea what I was going to use them for. (Typical, actually). 

A wreath? It's been done over and over. Mounted on sticks as garden signs? Nah.
Then I saw a green wood picture frame sitting nearby, and an idea was born!

Continue reading to see how I created a 3-D version of a seed packet as wall art...

3.20.2025

SPRING: repurpose tea tins as planters

 winter,winter to spring decor,garden style,inspired by nature,re-purposing,up-cycling,trash to treasure,faux plants,spring,tutorial,planted tea tins.

In springtime, I focus a lot on decorating for the season with moss, plants and flowers. That includes coming up with fresh new ways to display them - and that's where this idea came from...

If you can buy food that tastes wonderful and is packaged in beautiful tin boxes that can be re-used, why wouldn't you? I not only love the intense flavors of the teas that Harney & Sons of Great Britain makes, I adore their packaging... and have found several ways to re-use the lovely tins. (This post is not an ad, or sponsored) 

Continue reading to see how I 'planted' the tins in just minutes...

3.13.2025

SPRING: re-purpose light cages as flower frogs

spring,garden style,re-purposed,thrifted,up-cycling,flowers,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,seasonal,farmhouse style,rustic style,industrial style,tutorial,.

Daffodils are my FAVORITE flower. Have been since I was a Little Debby and loved watching 'Daffy O'Dill' dance in Disney's 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Every spring, I grab bunches of them and fill up the house with sunny flowers... and while I miss being able to drive to the Skagit Valley in Washington state and get my fill of multiple varieties grown and sold in roadside 'honor stands', now I just drive to Trader Joe's Market and grab some bunches! (TJ's imports daffodils from both Skagit Valley, Washington and Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada).

The one thing I don't like about them is how the stems can end up bending and cutting off the water supply to the blooms. But now I've come up with a fun way to turn something else into a solution! 

Continue reading to see this EASY repurposed flower frog idea!

3.06.2025

SPRING: flower-filled purse door hanger

spring,winter to spring decor,wreaths,wall art,flowers,garden style,inspired by nature,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,home decor,tutorial,re-purposed,up-cycling,spring door hanger.

March is here and spring is coming!
I'm always so glad to see the earth awaken after her winter nap, and love to use flowers and other garden references in my spring decor...

This project builds on one I've created before (linked below this post) and is an easy way to add some springtime charm to your front door or indoor walls!

Continue reading for tutorial...

2.27.2025

WINTER: create faux 'wrapped' bulbs

white,DIY,winter to spring decor,inspired by nature,home decor,winter,dollar store crafts,re-purposed,garden style,diy decorating,up-cycling,nordic style,faux plants,faux wrapped bulbs for winter,tutorial,kokedama,nordic design
A classic trend in winter decor is a nature-focused Nordic vibe, using natural elements that celebrate winter while hinting at spring. I've always love white flowers in winter, as they reflect the idea of snow-blanketed gardens.

This year, I've created some faux versions of wrapped bulbs and nestled them in snowy white ceramic containers. This simple project has brought a winter-y feel into my studio, and will transition perfectly into spring in the coming month.

Continue reading for an easy two-part tutorial...

1.30.2025

Published: My 'Living Nest' in Farmhouse Style Magazine

spring,winter to spring decor,garden style,farmhouse style, inspired by nature,Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine,published,natural elements,nests,DIY,diy decorating,. 
Last Spring, I made a 'Living Nest', and shared it here on the blog. Shortly after that, I was contacted by Editor Lisa Sloan at Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine to ask if they could include my project in their next Spring issue.

Of course I was thrilled, said yes, and sent in some images. The issue has just released, so let's hear a little commotion for a previous project!

continue reading for more details...

1.03.2025

WINTER . make a simple rosemary wreath

winter,winter to spring decor,DIY,diy decorating,garden style,decorating,diydecorating,home decor,natural elements,inspired by nature,simple solutions,new year,

the Christmas decor is all packed away! whew.
now i'm enjoying a slow, calm 'ease into the new year' approach: simple changes, adjustments, and routines that give my creative mind space to wander (and wonder!) without stressing out as i keep up with my responsibilities. 


the simple rosemary wreath project that i am sharing today is something that can made in just minutes and with very little effort. (i don't know about you, but i LOVE easy DIY projects!) let me show you how easy and simply charming this project is - and how you can make it even if you don't have an herb garden.

continue reading for tutorial...

11.08.2024

DIY flocked acorns

fall,autumn,Thanksgiving,wreaths,painting,DIY,diy decorating,faux finish,inspired by nature,Sweet Sweater Nests,Sweet Sweater Originals,garden style,woodsy style,tutorial,dollar store crafts,flocked acorns.
i have a photo of a bunch of green acorns as my screensaver,
and the luscious tones moved me to try and replicate them - in paint.
then i saw a video showing how to make a faux 'flocked' paint finish,
and i just HAD to try it!

continue reading to see how easy this one is...

10.17.2024

pumpkins made from garden clippings!?!

tutorial,pumpkins,inspired by nature,fall,autumn,DIY,diy decorating,garden style,farmhouse style,dollar store crafts,natural elements,sage leaf pumpkins,from the garden.

you've heard 'Necessity is the mother of invention' before...
it couldn't be more true of this week's pumpkin creation!

we've had a HOT summer and early fall here...
once the temps dipped *just* below triple digits,
i finally braved the heat outside and took care of some garden tasks,
including trimming the vining branches of our jasmine plants
that were reaching menacingly toward our windows!

that led to a whole new way to embrace my 'trash to treasure' ethos:
i turned my garden clippings into pumpkins!

continue reading for the details...

5.03.2024

welcome to an epic crafting fail. and a fix!

spring,garden art,garden style,painting,tutorial,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,home decor,wall art,colorful home,makeover,refresh a metal garden sign with paint.

prepare yourselves, friends... 
this project was actually going to be included as a photo prop in my 'posie pots' post.
and then everything that COULD go wrong WENT wrong.

so it wasn't included, and it's taken some time and effort
to reverse the damage and proceed with the project as intended.
ah, the joys of creating LOL! this is what you DON'T see on social media!

i've decided to feature it in its very own post
because this stuff happens - and for those who don't create a lot all the time,
it's helpful to know that 'ruined' does not equal 'toss it in the bin'.
there's usually always a way to save a project gone wrong!

continue reading to see the before, the scary during, and the after...

4.26.2024

terra cotta pot mushrooms

spring,garden art,garden style,re-purposed,up-cycling,DIY,diy decorating,outdoors,boho style,farmhouse style,garden,dollar store crafts,neutrals,tutorial,terra cotta pot crafts,terra cotta pot mushrooms,terra cotta pots.

my favorite seasonal decor is the kind that happens
when i'm just playing around with things in my studio - and an idea hits me.
i love using things in ways OTHER than how they were intended to be used,
both indoors and out.

these terra cotta pot mushrooms are one of the easiest things i've made,
and they are a perfect spring accent for your home AND garden spaces.

continue reading for an insanely easy tutorial to make your own versions!

4.19.2024

vintage floral jewelry 'posie pots'

spring,DIY,diy decorating,crafting,re-purposed,up-cycling,inspired by nature,garden style,vintage style,vintage,terra cotta pots,decorating,thrifted,vintage finds,posie pots,spring flowers,spring home decor,spring decor,vintage floral enamel jewelry,tutorial
the old saying is 'April showers bring May flowers'...
but i'm ready for flowers NOW!

i call these 'posie pots', and the idea for them bloomed
when one of my memories met with a few images on Instagram - 
i'm sharing those sources in the post below, and a tutorial
so you can make your own spring decor or maybe a Mother's Day gift
 from vintage enamel floral pins!

continue reading for all of the details...

4.12.2024

terra cotta pot wreath

spring,wreaths,diy decorating,DIY,tutorial,inspired by nature,natural elements,neutrals,garden style,wall art,terra cotta pot wreaths,flower pot wreaths.

yes, this project IS a 're-share'!
as i made this wreath for my 2023 'Terra Cotta Christmas' theme,
i did so planning to share it again this spring...

it just captures all the spring 'feels' SO well 
and has endless possibilities for embellishment each season - 
which is really what homeward found decor is all about.

friends, you don't need a whole new set of decor accents each season!
and you certainly don't need to shop for all new stuff...
and bins to store more and more and more stuff.
make your own decor and create a home you love to live in.

continue reading for my tutorial...

4.05.2024

NEW: Sweet Sweater Sprouts!

spring,Sweet Sweater Originals,Sweet Sweater Sprouts,sweaters,garden style,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,home decor,seasonal,re-purposing,up-cycling,inspired by nature,faux potted plants,tutorial
I really want to create seasonal home decor that isn't always CUTE. 
but my muses keep giving me ideas for CUTE projects. 
at THREE in the morning. sigh.
(the muses have no regard for our schedules -
 they want what they want WHEN they want it.)
so when deb can't sleep, deb sketches. and the muses inspire.

and so, I proudly present
my NEWEST 'Sweet Sweater Original' creation: 'Sprouts'!
(as of Spring 2024)

perfect for springtime, these lil' guys make me smile.
and they couldn't be easier to create...
continue reading for my tutorial!

4.01.2024

it's time to talk about my pot addiction.

spring,home decor,seasonal,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,garden style,terra cotta pots ,inspired by nature,neutrals,terra cotta pot collection,terra cotta flower pots,terra cotta pot crafts.
no, that post title ISN'T an April Fools Day joke -
and it doesn't mean what you THINK It means!
in case you haven't noticed, i just love terra cotta pots!
they are such a versatile decorative element...
i can ALWAYS find a way to use them, in every season:

gather them on a platter or in a crate, sit them on a miniature chair,
add a little moss, tuck in a blooming primrose or tulip (fake is okay!),
dome them under glass, set the table with them,
make mushrooms out of them, turn them into Christmas decor,
and generally use them in ways they were never intended to be used!
i don't think i'll ever run out of ideas...

there was this ONE incident, however, that launched me into
the terra cotta pot stratosphere...

3.22.2024

create a living nest

spring,garden style,inspired by nature,wreaths,nests,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,seasonal,tutorial,outdoors,rustic style,natural elements,neutrals,garden art,on the porch,re-purposed,farmhouse style,living nest,wreath as nest,spring nest,spring plants.
i thought this project up months ago and am so happy to finally share it!
this 'living nest' idea was spurred by a photo i saw online:
my thought was, why not take the 'living wreath' topiary
and turn it on its side?! would it resemble a nest?

so then i had to experiment a bit to see if that idea would work out in reality. 
continue reading to see how it did!

3.15.2024

easy-peasy twine nest

spring,nests,DIY,diy decorating,tutorial,home decor,seasonal,re-purposed,up-cycling,dollar store crafts,inspired by nature,garden style,twine nest,diy nest,diy spring nest.
i dropped a ball of twine on the floor in my studio, it unraveled...
and this nest was the result!

i love it when something happens that makes me look at a material
in a new way, with a new use in a new seasonal accent.
and this one couldn't have been easier!

wanna' turn a ball of dollar store twine into a nest in less than five minutes?
continue reading!